I met Frank at Christmas thirty-eight years ago!
Merry Monday by Parris Bailey
“To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:77-79
The dawning of a new day! It was Christmas 1973 and my friend Leslie wanted me to take her older brother around town (Slidell) when he came in for the holidays. He was 5 1/2 years older than me so I really wasn’t reading to much into it. When I first met him, I noticed how different he was. He would listen to my music and then talk to me about the Bible, I would take him to all the hang-outs and he would tell me about Jesus. Christmas Day he gave me “All Things Must Pass by George Harrison” album with “Happy Jesus Birthday”  written on it. I told him he was a Jesus Freak. He dropped out of college in Michigan in his junior year just to come and date this silly little 15 year old. We got married 8 months later. For me, Frank brought to me the greatest present ever, Jesus Christ. I can still remember the darkness and the lies my life was surrounded in. He comes to visit us with true light. He calms the past and illuminates the present and brings hope to our futures. Where there was nothing but gloom and despair, He shines as the light of life in our hearts. He is the anatole-the morning light, the rising sun. We no longer have to live with pagan beliefs or traditions from man or even Old Testament types and figures. He comes like the dayspring from on high! Are you in darkness today my friend? He will come to you and pull you from fear and from bondage. When I was in 3rd grade someone gave me a book at school entitled “A Religious Christmas”. I was mesmerized with the beautiful pictures of Jesus and the nativity, I was so clueless! He comes to us and gives us revelation! A new day had dawned upon me-it took me out of my darkness into his glorious light.
In James 1:17 it says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” My whole life needed the light to shine in every area. There is nothing worse than ignorance. Another light that turned on inside of me was realizing that the heavenly Father is a giver of every good and perfect gift, He wasn’t out to get me and in Him was no shadow of turning. Even when I am faithless He remains faithful to His promise and His word over my life.
“God is the Father of lights. The visible light of the sun and the heavenly bodies is from Him. He said, Let there be light, and there was light.  What the sun is in nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; aye, and infinitely more.” (Spurgeon) Every good gift is from him. As the Father of lights, He gives the light of reason. The inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding, Job 32: 8. Some of you need to realize that it wasn’t God that let you down or changed on you but people. He never changes and He brings liberty to the downtrodden. My middle name is Dawn, he comes and brings a fresh new start in our lives and he arises in our hearts to bring us out of darkness.
So Christmas to me now is so very special—-it was the beginning of a whole new journey with me in God and it just hasn’t stopped!
“Welcome, all wonders in one sight, Eternity shut in a span.
Summer in winter, day in night. Heaven in earth, God in man!
Great little one! whose all-embracing birth. Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.”
Richard Crashaw (1648)